Requiem for the Dead
by Midori Bond
Summary: Two souls that once fought on opposite sides now find themselves in a common situation. Sidefic to Hell Hath No Fury MF
1. Chapter 1: Time

Quick note- If you've read "Name," then you know that Lady's new name is Darsha. The only problem is the original Darsha plays a role in this fic as well. So, for the scenes that they have together, "Lady" Darsha will be known as her rank- Lady. Otherwise the OG Darsha will be known as Mistress.

* * *

Requiem for the Dead  
by Midori Bond

Chapter 1- Time

* * *

Two years.

That was how long she had been here...

In Hell.

Two long and hard fought years.

Her appearance had changed. Her face was more narrow, she seemed to grow out of her baby fat. Gone was the look of justified innocence. All that was left was bitterness and hatred inside of mismatched eyes. She was no longer the Demon Hunter that vowed to rid the human world of all demons.

Now, she was one...

A strong one...

One that was feared and respected by those she regulated.

And out of impossible numbers, she only answered to one... Lucifer himself.

She had indeed come a long way from being little Mary Arkham.

A soft knock on her chamber door brought her out of her thoughts. She turned away from the indigo night sky and backed away from her terrace. "Enter," she commanded. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw her namesake smiling softly. Without a thought, she dropped to one knee. "Mistress Darsha," she said respectfully. "I had no idea you were in this section of the castle."

"I know. Only Luce knows that I'm here." She walked over to her descendant and gently touched her hair. "Stand up Darsha. Kneeling doesn't become you."

"Yet you chose to be a slave for eternity," she said lowly.

Mistress allowed a muse to escape her as the younger woman stood. "You still know nothing," she said with a sigh. She walked over to the plush sofa and sat. "I have never been a slave here. As long as Luce is in power, I never will be."

"Why? Because you believe him?" Lady asked hotly. "He's the Devil. He's not to be trusted."

Gold eyes looked at her curiously as she tilted her head to the side. "And you trusted him," she countered. "You continue to trust him. You follow his orders without hesitation, or question."

Lady lowered her head and frowned at her hands. "He's only asked that I police the nearby areas."

"Yes. And you do not comprehend the amount of trust he has in you to ask that." Mistress brushed her raven colored hair out of her eyes. "There are far worse than Luce out there."

"Then why is he the ruler? Couldn't anyone take his place?"

"Now you see why he's asked you to police for him," Mistress said plainly. When Lady frowned, she smiled. "I know you have a lot of questions Darsha. Please, allow me to explain who Luce is, and how he's like nothing you've ever expected."

Lady inhaled slowly before going to sit next to Mistress. The pair sat in silence as the younger brunette thought of the request. "I want to know why do you follow him so faithfully," she said.

"I love him," Mistress said without hesitation. She looked at Lady and laughed at the horrified expression she wore. "You've met him. He's everything that the church warns us about, and yet, he's completely different. Luce is a walking contradiction compared to the Almighty Lucifer we're told of." Mistress tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and sighed. "Luce rules here, simply because this is all he wants. He doesn't want the human world, or the Heavens. He's content just being able to do what he pleases, when he pleases."

"What if it _pleases_ him to destroy an innocent family?" Lady spat.

Mistress shook her head, knowing that Lady was thinking. "He had nothing to do with what happened to your mother."

"And how would you know?" Lady cut in.

"Because you are of my blood," Mistress shouted. She looked into mismatched eyes and took a breath to calm herself. "Do you honestly think that I would allow him to do something that would hurt my family?"

"You speak as if you have the power to stop him if you wanted," Lady mumbled.

"I'm a woman, Darsha," she said quietly. "I could cripple him if I wanted." She watched the girl as she turned to look out of the window. "But to answer your question, Luce couldn't slaughter an innocent family."

"Why?"

"He was an angel once. He may know of lies, deceit, corruption, but he also knows of love, and compassion." When Lady snorted, Mistress frowned. "You're living proof of that."

Lady lowered her head. "I made a deal," she said lowly. "I'm not proof of anything."

"Are you so sure?" Mistress stood and walked over to the terrace doors. "I was Darsha when you arrived. I asked for him to give you my powers. I was the one that even introduced the idea of your deal to him." She looked at Lady with a curious expression. "All he could have said was no. Two little letters, and you would be down below, trying to fend off whatever wanted you. And with you being on their turf, you would have been ribbons for the fiends to play with. Now, why would he do something like that if he was such a vile creature?"

The younger Darsha was quiet as she looked at her hands again. Mistress had a point. She could fool herself into thinking that she was the best, and Luce had wanted to keep her around for her skills, but that wasn't true. He could have easily left things as they were, Mistress would have still been Darsha, his most feared advisor, and she would have been nothing more than another dead human. "I don't understand him," she said quietly.

Mistress smiled as she looked up at the rising orange moon. "Most people say that about Luce," she said softly. "I do. It's just hard to explain." She laughed and shook her head. "He's a force of nature that you have to experience. Not be lectured on."

Lady's frown deepened. "I don't think I'd enjoy that experience," she said as a blush crossed her face.

Again, Mistress's laugh echoed through the chambers. "I didn't mean that kind of experience," she chuckled as she looked at the young woman. Her eyes widened as she recognized the look Lady wore. "Darsha, are you still a vir..."

"This is not on the topic," Lady said quickly. As her face grew more heated, Lady stood and went to pour herself something to drink. "And no. I'm not." She drank some of her brandy and looked into her glass. "I'd just rather not think about Demons, and experiences, that's all," she said quietly.

Mistress nodded. "The son of Sparda," she said with a knowing smile.

The color of Lady's face turned from pale ivory to beet red. "It's not what you think," she said before finishing her drink. She placed the glass on a small tray and poured herself another.

"Sparda had a soft spot for beautiful women too. It nearly killed him when I died."

She really didn't want to have this conversation. "I didn't..."

"I've seen Luce's reports on Dante. He's a lot like his father."

"Vergil was my first," Lady said raising her glass to her lips again. She closed her eyes so she would have to see the shocked expression on a face that almost mirrored her own. When the glass was empty, she took a slow breath, bracing herself for the questions that were bound to follow such a statement.

"It would be better if you started talking," Mistress said calmly. She walked over to Lady and gently took her hand. Before the younger woman could protest, they were sitting side by side on the sofa again. "We thought all of your ties were with Dante."

Lady shook her head. "A few months after everything with my father, I went to a place called Mallet Island. All that's there is a huge house, and tiny village. I was hired as a hunter to investigate the house. On my second night there, a storm rolled through. When I was on my way back to my room, there was a body lying in the middle of the road. At first, I thought it was Dante. Everything about him was the same. But when he woke up, I got to see his eyes. They were blue. I had found Vergil.

"He told me of how he went to confront someone named Mundus and was captured. When I found him, he had just escaped." Lady looked at her hands and smiled faintly. "He was different from the first time we met. It could have been because we weren't trying to kill each other. But I took care of him with a woman named Giga's help. She lived on a distant island, but she came to the village everyday. When he was back to full health, the village was having a festival. It was something about honoring their God. That night, we both had a few drinks, and one thing lead to another."

Gold eyes observed the way Lady was telling her story. From the quiet tone alone, she could tell this didn't have a happy ending. "You lost him after that, didn't you?" she asked.

Mismatched eyes hardened. "Mundus sent his minions after Vergil. They found us in bed. Before either of us could put up a decent fight, he was shackled, and I was pinned to the bed." Tears came to her eyes unwillingly, and she bit her trembling lip. "To save me, Vergil told some woman that he would go with her, and do whatever Mundus wanted. So, yeah, I lost him."

Mistress felt her heart break as she looked at Lady. "Do you love him?" she asked quietly.

Lady looked at her with wet eyes. "No," she said quickly. Defiantly, a single tear escaped from her eyes and trailed down her face. She wiped it away roughly and shook her head. "Love never entered the equation. I felt sorry for him."

A small smile crossed Mistress's lips. Lady had fallen for him, no matter how she denied it. With a final squeeze, Mistress released Lady's hand and stood. "I came here to talk with you about how you're finding things, and we end up babbling like two long lost girlfriends," she mused.

Lady nodded as she gathered her pride around her like a shield. "That's fine," she said lowly. "With only you and Lucifer here, I'm sure it must be lonely at times."

Before Mistress could respond, the dark purple sky turned white. Both women ran to the terrace to see Mundus's mark high in the sky. What they weren't expecting was for the single figure to plummet from the insignia. Mistress took a slow breath as she realized what had just happened. "Whoever that was, in order for them to survive, they have to either go back to their master, or come here for Luce to heal," she said lowly.

Lady felt a knot form in her stomach for an unknown reason. "That was Mundus, wasn't it?" she asked lowly.

Mistress looked at the girl. She smiled sadly when she saw fierce determination written across her young face. "Yes. And if that was him, bring him here. Luce understands affairs of the heart."

Lady opened the terrace doors as the sky died back to its original black/purple. "I don't love him," she said one last time.

Mistress smiled as the girl walked over to the edge of her terrace and jumped over it. "This is one hell of a way to prove it," she whispered as she watched her namesake.

* * *

Lady Darsha, general of Lucifer's guards, always knew how to make an entrance.

A number of soldiers were gathered at the Palace gates. They all had been ready to retire for the night when the insignia threw whatever it wanted into the wastelands. Some of them were instantly ready to go and investigate, while others were wondering if they should wait for their orders. One glanced up above and quickly moved out of the way of the huge black wolf that was plummeting to the ground.

He jumped back and collided with a few of his fellow guards. As they all fell over in a tangle of metal and limbs, the wolf landed and started to run off towards the wastelands. Teal colored eyes looked turned up to the general's balcony and met the gold eyes of the Mistress. She was looking at him directly wearing an all too familiar smile. He was about to do something that could either shake the palace structure, or bring down his father's wrath. No matter what, he was about to lose in _some_ way.

* * *

She ran.

It had been five minutes since Mundus's light erupted in the sky. The body would be surrounded by Feeders and Fiends by now. She was running out of time. She had to reach that body.

She had to find out if it was him. She had to make sure that it wasn't Vergil lying in the Wastelands. Images of his body being ravaged by some of the lesser demons flashed in her mind's eye, urging her on faster.

_"I don't love hi__m,"_ she thought as she reached the city borders. _"I have to free him. That's all."_

Yet, no matter how much she told herself that, Mistress's words wouldn't leave her alone.

Darsha slowed to a stop as she reached the crimson sands of the wastelands. Her keen eyes were searching for exactly where the fallen carcass would be. She was forcing herself to keep calm. It wouldn't do her any good to loose her composer. If the fallen warrior wasn't injured, and could still put up a fight, she would need a clear head.

A low growl escaped her. In the distance, she saw a number of shadows hovering over a lump in the sand. Without hesitation, she charged forward and slammed into one of the larger figures. As the shadows each turned to her, she transformed into her human form. She heard a number of the lower demons start to cower and drew the pistol she kept strapped to her leg. "By order of the Dark Lord, this body is off limits," she said in a low voice.

The demon she crashed into stood behind her. "He's fallen into our territory," it hissed. "Mundus promised him to us."

She turned and leveled her gun to its eye. Without hesitation, she fired. She heard the others in the background as they hissed and shrieked. As the body fell, she turned to the others. "You can feed off of that," she said coldly. "The body Mundus gave you is mine."

The Feeders that were around the fallen figure slowly moved away from it. Their long clumsy claws were digging into the sand as the moonlight was finally allowed to touch the warrior Mundus threw away.

Darsha felt her stomach drop. Clad in a strange green armor, was Vergil, the elder son of Sparda.

She didn't know if she wanted to laugh, cry, or leave him there for the feeders.

The decision was taken away from her when she heard the familiar whine of Thala, Lucifer's personal Dragon. She walked over to Vergil's prone form and knelt next to him. He was still alive, barely. She would have to hurry and get him to the palace if she had any hopes of saving him.

The ground shook as Thala landed. Darsha looked up expecting to find her Lord, only to see one of her Lieutenants. "Ren?" she asked as she looked into teal eyes. "What are you doing here?"

A breeze passed through, making his deep auburn hair lift slightly. "When you left the palace, I saw Mistress," he said simply. He dismounted the Dragon and went to Darsha's side. He looked at the figure and frowned. "I thought Sparda was thrown into the Dead Zone," he said lowly. His eyes then narrowed when he saw the way Darsha caressed his face.

"This isn't Sparda," she said before turning to Ren. She could feel emotions long locked away trying to force their way to the surface. Her eyes remained locked with Ren's as she stood. "Mistress wants us to take him to the Palace. Load him up and take him back."

Ren looked at her. "Yes General," he said lowly.

Darsha's eyes scanned the area with a frown on her face. The night was empty save for the Feeders feasting on the one she recently killed. She wouldn't let her guard down. She couldn't let anyone see her weak... even if all she wanted to do right now was breakdown.

As he strapped his burden to Thala's back, Ren looked at Darsha. He knew who she was, what she had been. She was the same as Mistress. A human that was sent to Hell, and then given favor by Lucifer. He could suspect that she had know this man in her former life. The strange way she was trying to act completely normal didn't escape him. Ren sighed as he tightened the last strap around Vergil. "General," he called respectfully. When she turned to him, he cleared his throat. "Mistress also wanted you to accompany me back to the castle."

Darsha walked over to Thala and easily climbed into her saddle. She waited for Ren to climb in front of her and barely hid a smirk. "You really don't need me," she said lowly. She gripped the hem of Ren's tunic as Thala took to the skies. "Your mother can handle your father."

"But he saw me leaving with Thala. How did you put it once? I was caught stealing his car."

She allowed a small smile to cross her face. "Yes. And you want me there, so he'll think that it was an order from Darsha."

Ren glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. "It _was_ an order from Darsha," he reasoned.

A sigh escaped her as she shook her head. "You're too much like your father sometimes. Do you know that?" she asked.

He chuckled as the palace slowly came into view. "Actually, my mother taught me to think like this." Again, he looked over his shoulder to Darsha. "Give her enough time with her. Mistress will have you thinking in circles in no time."

Darsha lowered her eyes slightly. "Sometimes I think she's already started," she mumbled.

* * *

TBC...

Author's note: Okay, I was getting like no response from "Hell Hath No Fury," and this idea's been bugging me for a while. Please bear with me. It's going to be basically Lady Darsha and Nelo (Vergil). I personally LOVE Dante, but I'm finding his big brother kinda hot too... Kami! I love twins. ANYWAY, I hope you enjoy. Let me know if you want to see this continue!

Until Next Time!  
Midori


	2. Chapter 2: Sparda

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Requiem for the Dead  
by Midori Bond

Chapter 2- Sparda

* * *

Lucifer, the Ruler of Hell, was not a happy Devil.

He had spent the past twenty minutes thinking of what could possibly possess Ren to take Thala...

His Thala.

Especially at a time as crucial as this.

Blue eyes focused on the doors to the dragon stables as they opened. He couldn't stop the growl that escaped him as he watched his lover smile and enter. "Do you know what your son did?" he shouted at her.

Mistress mused as she walked over to him. "He's _our_ son, Luce. And yes, I know what he did. He took Thala."

"Mundus could have sent a trap with that little sign of his, and Ren is going out to go galavanting with _my_ dragon!" Luce ranted. He looked at his lover and felt his eyes narrow as she tried not to smirk. "You knew, didn't you?" he asked in a hiss.

"Darsha left for the Wastelands just after the sign appeared. Ren was just below her rooms, so I asked that he take Thala," Mistress confessed. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. "They may be bringing someone back here. I would like for you to help him, if it's who I think."

Luce looked at her. "And who do you think it is?"

"Sparda's son, the middle one."

He frowned and pulled away from her. "Vergil?" he asked. As she nodded, he growled low in his throat. "And why would I do something like that? Why would I do anything that would help a spawn of Sparda?"

Mistress watched him. Luce always became bitter when Sparda was mentioned. She didn't know if it was because the dark knight killed her, or because he left Luce behind while he ran off to Earth and started a family. "Because he is one of Sparda's sons," she answered. "If it were any of the boys, I know Sparda would help."

"Love, you and I both know that Sparda was always more lenient than I ever was," he countered.

"Then can you do it because Darsha loves him?" Mistress asked. She saw the slight frown that crossed his face and moved closer to him. "When I was speaking with her, we fell on the topic and I figured out that she loves him. That's why she ran off to the Wastelands."

Luce lowered his head and backed away from his lover. "She'll get over her loss," he whispered in a low and troubled voice.

Gold eyes widened as he turned and walked out of the stables. "Luce..."

The doors closed and Luce leaned against it. He hadn't thought about Sparda in years. Not since he decided to live with that woman. He turned his back on everything he was. He left Luce here, alone, with no one but a terrified woman as company. That was not something the ruler of Hell could forgive easily.

As he passed one of the windows, Luce caught sight of Thala flying back into the stables with her burden. He paused as he caught a glimpse of the slim, unconcious form strapped to her. "One of Sparda's boys," he whispered to himself.

"Milord?" a young man asked as he turned into the corridor. When blue eyes turned to him, he dropped to his knee. "I did not wish to disturb you," he said lowly.

"You can stand Rai," Luce said with a wave of his hand. "Ren is just returning to the stables. You may want to see him there."

A head full of snow white hair bobbed. "Thank you Milord," he said as he stood. "But I was just looking for Lady Darsha. We just recieved word from one of the Gates. Mundus is trying to cross over into the Human world, and Sparda's amulet has been activated once again. We believe it's the work of Dante. Vergil's whereabouts are still unknown as of yet."

Luce allowed a small muse to leave him. "Vergil is with Lady Darsha and Ren inside of the stables. And I've known about the Mundus's plans for ages." He looked at his son's not-so-secret lover. "I appreciate your work Rai. But you need to be a little quicker on the uptake."

Rai looked ashamed of himself for a moment before smiling. "I'm trying Sir, but I dare say, I'm not as quick as Sparda." He bowed at his waist and started for the door of the stables.

Luce frowned as he looked at Rai. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Milord, everyone in the castle knows that Sparda was your most trusted. He was a brilliant Knight, we all thought you would name him to be your successor should you fall."

"Yes, and he betrayed Hell by siding with humans. I know the story Rai. I was there."

Rai frowned as he looked at his Lord. "Is that the way you see it?" he asked quietly.

"Is there another way?"

"Your last orders to Sparda were for him to prevent Mundus from leaving Hell. No matter what the cost. I have met no one that would give himself blindly to that order, save Sparda."

Luce tilted his head to the side and folded his arms over his chest. "Is that what you think? He simply obeyed my orders?"

"That's what I know," Rai said in a whisper. "When the Fiend uprising was taking place, and you sent me to investigate, I found him. I even asked him about what he had done." Garnet colored eyes lost focus for a moment and a gentle smile crossed his face. "Sparda said that you were his friend, and he would gladly give up everything you ever gave him, if you asked. He would stop Mundus, and be cursed to loose his only friends and powers in order to fulfill your wishes."

Luce shook his hand. "No matter what the cost," he sighed. He looked at Rai and smirked. "Your father was a strange one," he commented.

Rai shook his head. "He was loyal, Milord. Perhaps to a fault." He turned his eyes to the large door next to him and sighed. "I'm still not completely sure if my brothers share that trait... I don't even know if _I_ have it."

Blue eyes closed for a moment as Luce inhaled. It was always so easy to forget that Rai was one of Sparda's sons. "If you didn't, you would be dead," Luce said easily. He looked into Rai's eyes for a moment and then nodded. "If that really _is_ your brother, have him taken to the Southern Wing. Get him cleaned up, and find the extent of his injuries."

"Yes Milord," Rai said before opening the stable door.

* * *

He was dead. He was sure of it.

He could remember the fight he was in. The one he wanted to loose, but couldn't bring himself to throw. He remembered the feeling of his little brother's blade cleaving into his side. There was no way he could have survived that.

Yet, he had always thought that with his death, he would escape the pain.

Pale blue eyes slowly opened. Everything around him was dark, save a single candle close to his injury. In the dim light he could see a figure with long snow white hair. "Dan... te?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

The figure's head turned. "You're awake," he said calmly. "Don't worry. That will change soon enough."

He could tell he was on a bed of some sort, but he didn't know where. He looked back at the stranger. "Where am I?"

"Safe. That's all you need to worry about for now," the Demonic Noble said. His eyes then moved to a slim form sitting directly next to the injured man's wound.

"We're ready Master Rai," it hissed.

Rai looked at the creature and then back to his charge's confused face. "Do it," he ordered in a cold voice. He watched his brother's face as the serpent looking medic bared it's teeth and buried them in his side.

He couldn't stop it. His body had been threw too much. Before Rai or anyone could stop him, he let out a blood curtling scream.

* * *

Down the hall, Darsha lowered her head and folded her arms over her stomach. Her eyes closed tightly as Vergil's scream echoed through the palace. She wouldn't go down to see him. Not yet. Luce wanted Rai to take care of him for now, and she would obey his wishes.

Ren poured two glasses of brandy and looked at Darsha. She was staring at the burning fireplace, completely engrossed in the sight of the flames. He frowned as he walked over to her and held the glass out to her. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She gently took the glass and drank from it. "I was ordered to let Rai deal with him. I won't question Luce."

"I'm not asking you to," Ren said as he sat next to her. "I want to know, is Vergil who you want."

Darsha shook her head. "I don't love him," she said in a low voice.

Teal eyes stayed focused on her face. That was the same thing she told his mother. "Can you please stop lying to yourself?" he asked. When she looked at him sharply, he sipped his own drink. "I saw you in the Wastelands. You can't sit here and tell me that you don't love him." As she turned her eyes back to her hands, he looked to the fire. "It's not something you should be ashamed of," he added quietly.

She snorted. "Says the man that can't even tell his own parents that he's in love with another man," she whispered into her glass. She finished her drink and walked over to where the bottle stood.

"In all honesty, Mistress and Luce both know that he and I are involved. We all try to save face and try to hide it though," he countered.

Darsha frowned as she looked at him. "What purpose does that serve?"

Ren chuckled as he sipped his drink. "There really isn't a _purpose_, as opposed to habit. When Rai and I first started seeing each other, we were both fairly young, and I thought that my father would send me straight to the Dead Zone if he found out."

"He didn't," she observed.

"No, he didn't." He stared at her silently, waiting for her to return his gaze. When she did, he gave her a small smile. "We aren't talking about my relationship with Rai," Ren said calmly. "We were talking about your love for Vergil."

She shook her head and sighed. "I don't know what my feelings for him are," she said quietly. "He and I only had one night together."

"So."

"_So,_ I don't have any claim on him. I don't want one either." She turned her eyes to the fireplace and continued to watch the flames dance. "His brother is the reason I'm dead, and Vergil himself tried to kill me." She fell silent as a troubled look crossed her face.

"Then why bring him here?" Ren asked quietly.

Tears started to fill her eyes. "He saved my life," she answered in a whisper. "He sold himself to Mundus, to save me."

* * *

Mistress walked into her bedchamber and saw her lover standing at the terrace doors. She could always tell when he was lost in his thoughts, and now was one of those times. With a small sigh, she walked over to where he stood. "Luce?"

He frowned as her hands landed on his shoulders. "Do you have any idea what you have asked of me?" he asked quietly.

She lowered her eyes and frowned. "Why do you hate him, Luce?" As she started to pull away from him, he turned to look at her. She stared into the deep blue eyes she had fallen in love with and gently brushed his red hair aside. "Sparda has done everything you have asked of him..."

He shook his head and walked away from her. "I've already had this conversation with Rai," he said simply. "I won't have it again with you."

"Yes you will," she said following him. "I want to know why Luce. You were his best friend. He gave everything for you. How does that kind of devotion turn to such hatred?" Her eyes went round as he turned and grabbed her arm.

"It's because of you, alright?" he shouted at her. He dragged her over to the vanity and stood behind her as they looked at their reflection. "Two thousand years ago, I met a young priestess with forbidden eyes. I would visit her every day, some without her even knowing." He ran his fingers through her hair and felt his eyes narrow as the raven tresses turned gold. "I loved that young woman. _He_ knew that, having met you himself."

"Luce," Mistress whispered. She stilled as he shook her roughly.

"I asked for him to find a way to seal the portal in New York. He used one of his swords, most of his powers, and a sacrifice that I would never have allowed." He saw the tears falling from his lover's eyes as she looked at her old reflection. "You want to know why I hate Sparda, I hate him for killing you."

"But after I crossed over, he brought me to you. Doesn't that count for something?" Mistress asked as he walked away from her.

"You never should have been brought here in the first place!" he shouted. He looked into her eyes and clentched his jaw. "You were supposed to live a long life, to grow old and gray. He took that from you, damning you to a life in Hell." He sighed as tears slid down her face. "I wanted more for you, Anna," he whispered before turning away from her.

She shook her head. "There was no one else, Luce. It was either me, or everything. _I_ chose me. Not Sparda." Just as she was about to take a step towards him, he rounded on her again.

"Stop defending him!" Luce roared. He closed his eyes as she stumbled back into the vanity. Scarring her like this killed him. He walked over to her and wrapped her in a gentle embrace. "I have always been the only one to give him orders. He never disobeyed them, even to a fault. I love you, and I am grateful that he brought you here. Don't take away my hate for him. I _need_ to hate someone for what happened to you. If I can't hate Sparda, it will turn inward. Even he knew that."

She reached up and gently cupped his face. "Alright. But please, don't turn your hate to his sons. They could become just as valuable as he was."

Luce buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Rai has already proven himself. It's the twins that need to be brought around."

"Darsha will be able to work with Vergil. We can worry about Dante when he gets here."

He straightened and ran his fingers through her hair, turning it black again. "Yes, yes, and soon we'll be one big happy family," he said sarcastically. He grunted slightly when she hit him in his ribs. "It's that what you're doing?"

She looked at him and rolled her eyes. "No. I'm not trying to make a family," she said shaking her head. "I just want you to have a few people to trust around you when the war comes. That's all."

He smiled as she sat on the bed. "You're a bad liar," he said going over to her.

She returned his expression. "I learned from you," she teased before he tilted her face up to his and kissed her.

* * *

TBC...

Until Next Time!  
Midori


End file.
